Animal trap



Oct. 29, 1929. c. A. LANDER ANIMAL TRAP Filed April 1928 Patented Get. 29, 1929 1,733,350

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESLEY A. LANDER, on MADISOIT, soU'rH DAKOTA ANIMAL TRAP Application filed April 5, 1828. Serial No. 257,773.

This invention relates to animal traps, and inlet .26 is formed in a side of the housing so the primary object thereof is to provide a as to convey light to the opening 22. self-setting trap which is of simple and eco- In operation the animal enters the inlet 4 nomical construction and which is reliable and is attracted by the bait on the holder 5 in operation. and in attempting to reach same, steps on The invention has further and other objects the platform 6, depressing the latter, the dewhich will be later set forth and manifested pression of the platform through the rod 9,

in the course of the following description. lever 10 and rod 14 releasing catch 13, which In the drawings causes platform 11 to descend to the dotted 10 Figlisalongitudinal sectional view of ie line position of Fig. 1, thereby cutting off invention, and escape of the animal through inlet 1. The Fig. 2 is a top plan view with the cover animal in attempting to escape then climbs up open. the platform 11 onto platform 15 and being The invention includes a housing having a attracted by the light through the opening 22 15 bottom 1 and a hinged top 2, and preferably and in order to reach the latter, places his has a sliding door 3 at one end to release the feet on the element 25 thereby releasing the trapped animals. An inlet l is provided in latch 23 and causing the platform 15 to dethe bottom so that the trap can be placed over scend to the dotted line position of Fig. 1, a rat hole for example, and has a partition whereby it will be seen that the animal is 20 5' extending transversely across the housing trapped and cannot reach the inlet 4 due to the and located at one side of the inlet 4. The op partition 5. Upon depression of the platposite end of the housing has a bait holding form 15, same engages the outer end 19 of the rod 5, adjacent which is a platform 6 pivoted arm 17 and depresses said end 19 causing the at its rear at 7. A stop member 8 limits upend 20 thereof to raise the platform 11 to ward movement of the platform 6 the latter normal position in which it is again engaged being connected by a rod 9 to a bell crank lewith and held by the latch 13. As soon as the ver 10, the lever being pivoted to a side of the platform 15 is released of the weight of the housing and being tensioned by a spring 10. animal, the spring 16 thereof restores same A second platform 11 is pivoted to a rod 12 to its normal latched or set position. 30 connected to the housing and is engaged at its From the foregoing it will be seen that the outer end by a pivoted latch 13 which latter trap is self and ever setting and provides a is connected to and released by a rod 14 which simple and positive means for trapping the in turn is pivoted to the lever 10. A third animal. Y platform 15 is pivoted to the rod 12 and is What is claimed is normally held in raised position by a spring 1. In a trap, a housing having a bottom 16 having a coil between its ends, the spring provided with aninlet opening between its being secured at one end to platform 15 and at ends, a bait holder at one end of the housing, its opposite end to a side of the housing. An a platform pivoted at its rear adjacent the arm 17 is pivoted intermediate its ends at bait holder, means carried by the housing and 18 to the partition 5 and has a weighted end engageable with the front of the platform to 19, its opposite end 20 being engaged with limit upward movement of the latter, a pivthe platform 11. A transverse partition 21 is oted bell-crank above the platform, a rod secured to the housing and has a light receivpivoted to the bell-crank and to the platform, ing opening 22 and foot receiving latch 23 a pair of platforms pivoted at their inner ends the latter tensioned by a spring 2 1. at a point above the inlet so that same can The latch 23 is engageable with the outer move downwardly against the housing botend of the platform 15 to hold the latter in tom and on opposite sides of the inlet, a latch normal set position while the latch is profor the outer end of each of the pair of platvided with a foot engaging part 25 located at forms, a rod pivot-ed to the latch adjacent the a distance above the platform 15. A light bell-crank and to the latter, a spring c latch of the first named platform of he pair,

and a partition in the housing having a light receiving opening associated With the last named catch.

' 2. An animal trap including a housing having an inlet between its ends, a bait holder at one end of the housing, a pivoted platform movable to extend over said inlet, a latch for the platform, animal operated means adjacent the bait holder connected to the latch to release same, a second pivoted spring tensioned platform adjacent the first platform, an arm pivoted between its ends and operable by depression of the second platform to move the first platform to normal position, and an animal operated latch for the second platform.

,An animal trap including a housing having an inlet, a bait holder spaced from the inlet, a pivoted platform movable to cut-off the inlet, a latch for the platform, a depressible animal operated means adjacent the bait, a bell-crank connected to the latch and to the depressible means, a second pivoted spring tensioned platform adjacent the first platform, means actuated by depression of the second platform to move the first platform to normal position, and animal operated means to latch the second platform.

4:. An animal trap including a housing having an inlet and having a partition spaced from -the inlet to form an animal holding oompartment between the partition and an end of the housing, means to cu t-off the inlet, animal actuated means to operate the cut-off means, an animal operated element for said compartment located adjacent the upper end of the partition for controlling ingress and egress to the compartment, means to restore said element to normalclosed position followingoperation thereof, and means operated by the element to restore the cut-ofi means to normal position by the closing movement of the element; I V

, 5. 'An animal trap including a housing having an inlet and having an animal holding compartment spaced from the inlet, means to cat-off the inlet, means to latch said cut-off means in normal position, animal actuated -means to release the la-tchingmeans, a depressible element for said compartment for controlling ingress to and egress therefrom,

' means to latch said element in normal posiofi means to normal latched position.

' 6. Ananimal trap including ahousinghaving an inlet and having an animal holding compartment spaced from the inlet, means to cut-ofi the inlet, means to latch said cut-0E means in normal position, animal actuated means to release the latching means, a depressible element for said compartment for controlling ingress to and egress therefrom, means to latch said element in normal position, a partition adjacent to the free end of the depressible element having a light opening the-rein,- animal actuated means for releasing said element, disposed adjacent to said light opening, and means operable by and upon depression of said depressible element to restore said cut-off means to normal latched position.

In testimony "whereof I aflix my signature.

CHESLEY A. LANDER. 

